Cable pulling devices are well known and have been used in the construction industry to thread or draw electrical cable or wire through conduits, trays or raceways. Conventional cable pulling devices include a support frame, a capstan assembly rotatably mounted on the support frame and means on the support frame for rotating the capstan assembly. The means for rotating the capstan may be a manual crank or an electric motor coupled to a drive train. Typical cable pulling devices are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 2,221,903 issued Nov. 19, 1940 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,190,616 issued June 22, 1965.
In the past, cable pulling devices having an electric capstan driving motor have not included any means to limit the pull being exerted on the cable by the electric motor through the capstan. The operator must be careful to sense the cable pull force using his own experience to avoid overloading the cable puller components and accessories.
In the past, the support frame and puller support booms have been bent from exerting too great a pulling force. Prior cable pulling devices have not included convenient means by which the operator could visually monitor the pulling force being exerted during a pull. In pullers where a force monitoring device has been provided, use of the monitoring device has been limited to a fixed positional relationship between the pulling device and the operator.